Marijuanna Effects.?!
Question:
Marijuanna Effects.?
I used to smoke weed in moderation, but I used it sort of in a "meditation" way.
Anyway, my friend smokes & gets very quiet & distant. She begins to believe that everyone around her is talking about her and when someone says something (that has nothing to do with her), she will seriously start tripping. At one point, she even believed that someone was going to come shoot her, so she moved her bedroom upstairs to avoid someone coming by her window to kill her.
Everything has seemed to calm down a bit, but on occasion, she still gets paranoid and that some feeling overcomes her. She confides in me and tells me that at times when she's high she can't seperate reality from fantasy. She says she hates it. I ask her why she doesn't quit, and she says cause she believes that it will all just go away.
She hasn't been the same since. Even when she's sober she seems as though she's living in some kinda fear.
What should I do? She's 18 so it's not like I can tell her parents.
Answers:
Sometimes, when a person already has emotional/mental problems smoking pot will make those problems worse or even push them over the "edge" into full fledged mental illness. Be a friend to her and urge her strongly to stop using the pot. She may be suffering an anxiety disorder or even more seriously, paranoia disorder. If the symtoms continue help her to find a doctor or counselor. And yes, you can tell her parents, anonymously if you feel you need to. Even after the age of 18 parents still care what happens to their children and can still help influence their behavior. Telling her parents is better than going to her funeral.